Marrying and Sponsoring a Malaysian Citizen

Marriage to a Malaysian citizen and spousal sponsorship to Canada under the Family Sponsorship stream is a complex process.
This page is designed to guide you through your marriage to a Malaysian citizen and the spousal sponsorship process.

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Marriage to a Malaysian Citizen

Every country has its own laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Malaysian citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.

If you want to bring your Malaysian spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.

Malaysian Marriage Basic Requirements

All foreign citizens wishing to marry must reside in Malaysia at least 7 days before application of marriage.

You will need to make two separate trips to the National Registration Department. During the first visit, the marrying couple needs to bring the following documents:

Marriage application form JPN.KCO2. (This and other forms are printed in Bahasa Malaysia only, so you should complete them prior to arrival at the Registry office. Completing the forms in English is allowed.)

Passport and photocopy of the first page and page showing latest entry into Malaysia.

1 colored photo of each party (32 mm x 38 mm).

Letter confirming freedom to marry. You can execute an affidavit at the Consular Section which will serve this purpose.

This letter must be brought to the Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) for authentication.

If previously married, death certificate(s) of previous spouse(s) or divorce decree(s) (original and one photocopy).

After the first visit in which the documents and application are submitted, the marrying couple must wait at least 21 days until they can return and have the marriage officially registered. It is possible to get married more quickly (through a "special license"), but there are additional forms and fees, and approval of a senior Registry official is required.

After the waiting period, the marrying couple will make a second trip to the National Registration Department for the official marriage ceremony. Two witnesses will need to accompany the marrying couple to finalize the marriage. A marriage certificate will be issued immediately following the ceremony.

There are different procedures for marriage with or between Muslims, including religious courses and different registration procedures. Contact the headquarters of the Islamic Religion Department (Jabatan Agama Islam) directly to find out the requirements.

All cell phones are in area code "1". The digits after 1 are based on the provider.

Calling Canada from Malaysia

The international dialling code for Malaysia is 00, like it is in most countries outside of North America. However, Malaysia has special codes for Singapore (02) and for Brunei (080, for East Malaysia only).

To call Canada dial 00 - 1 - Canadian area code - local number.

Area Codes of Canada

Province

Code

Province

Code

Alberta

403 / 587 (southern Alberta)

587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta)

Nunavut

867

BC

236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)

236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver)

Ontario

226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)

249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario)

289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area)

343 / 613 (eastern Ontario)

416 / 647 (Toronto)

807 (northwestern Ontario)

Manitoba

204 / 431

PEI

782 / 902

New Brunswick

506

Quebec

418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)

438 / 514 (Montreal)

450 / 579 (Greater Montreal)

819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec)

Newfoundland and Labrador

709

Saskatchewan

306 / 639

Northwest Territories

867

Yukon

867

Nova Scotia

782 / 902

Time Difference

Malaysia has its own special time zone despite being spread across a wide section of the globe.

Sponsoring You Malaysian Spouse to Come to Canada

Sponsorship Review

Immigroup will review your completed spousal sponsorship application for $550+HST. Immigroup will make sure you have not made any mistakes on your application or in gathering the documentation of your relationship. We will assess your sponsorship letter and give you peace of mind that you are submitting an application with a very good chance of success. Don't lose sleep at night worrying about whether you've done enough. Call us at 1-866-760-2623 for a review.